Generation Z, those born from 1997 to 2012, is the generation most victimized by the significance and borderline reliance on social media in everyday life. The state of modern society brings more challenges surrounding these issues than ever before.
As the prime generation for technology use and exposure, Gen Z is more likely than any other generation to be faced with the worst of these challenges.
Pew Research Center reports that between 50% to 70 % of Gen Z receive news through social media. This means there is a greater opportunity for political and social awareness in the public, but it also comes with potential downsides. With immediate access to an infinite supply of international news and general knowledge, Gen Z could be the most educated generation. That possibility is great, but there are still negative aspects that can come with it.
A consequence of this constant, vast flow of information is the potential spread of misinformation. News and general media are becoming more interconnected. This makes it difficult for many Gen Zers to be able to discern between what is real news and what may be published with incorrect information or malicious intentions in the worst cases.
Gen Z also faces a higher risk than previous generations did of developing a social media addiction. According to Stanford Health, the constant, quick-hit dopamine released by scrolling platforms like Instagram or X can trigger similar responses in the brain to the release of dopamine caused by using addictive drugs like heroin and meth. This means your mind can become literally addicted to the modern phenomenon known as “Doom Scrolling.”
Harvard Health describes doomscrolling as the habit of constantly scrolling online news headlines, which often blare bad news. Among Gen Zers, the term is used more broadly. It describes the action of getting overly absorbed into pointless social media scrolling, regardless of the type of content being consumed.
One of the most damaging consequences of doomscrolling to Gen Z, especially college students, is time displacement. According to a New York Post survey conducted in 2024, the average young adult spends nearly seven hours a day on social media. Students benefit more from their time being spent more productively on things like sleep, work, education and socialization.
As college students, it is essential to manage time properly. Social media can put a damper on this, but the responsibility still ultimately lands on the individual. It might seem hard or even impossible to reduce the relevance of social media in one’s life in this generation, but it may prove beneficial to reduce overall social media use.
If that seems like too much of a jump, there can even be ways to make one’s time spent on social media more productive, depending on the type of media being consumed. Remember to always be aware of the downsides of social media and beware of the doomscroll.
